293 Canongate, Edinburgh and Cranston Street

[emmadog]

I thought Midcommon Close rang a bell and I have just found some notes of a distant relative who on 1891 census is living at 293 Canongate No 5 Midcommon Close so the whole block was 293 subdivided into numbers Midcommon Close.
The head of the household's occupation was Gas stoker at (I think) New Street gas works which is the next street along from Cranston Street.
Hope this helps unravel the numbering system.
Barbara.

[Ruskie]

Ah, that is interesting Barbara.

MT do you only have the one reference to that address relating to your family?

I am wondering if the address was numbered as Barbara's was, though I realise your family lived there a lot earlier than 1891.

Originally, some/all/many of these houses in the Closes seem to have been inhabited by wealthy people, and I expect that they were later divided into smaller dwellings and renumbered as per Barbara's example.

[Forfarian]

At the beginning of the book a CLOSE is stated as being an entry to a tenement, also possibly offering access at the back of the building.

That's a slightly inadequate definition, because it begs the question of what a tenement is!

Originally, a tenement was simply a plot of land - such as one of the strips of land leading off at right angles to the street. Later, as the tenement land became built over, it also acquired the meaning of a building with separate housing for several households, all accessed from a common stair.

There could be, and in the case of Edinburgh there usually were, many buildings in a close, and the access would have given access to all of the buildings in that close, not just 'the building'.

I suspect the writer of that definition is thinking of a tenement in terms of a single large building for multiple occupancy, with a passageway at ground level from the street to a piece of ground behind the building where there is a small garden, or more usually a drying green.

[BassinghamTerrier]

Ah, that is interesting Barbara.

MT do you only have the one reference to that address relating to your family?

I am wondering if the address was numbered as Barbara's was, though I realise your family lived there a lot earlier than 1891.

Originally, some/all/many of these houses in the Closes seem to have been inhabited by wealthy people, and I expect that they were later divided into smaller dwellings and renumbered as per Barbara's example.

Yes, just the one, Ruskie.
It's the marriage which states "Alexander Ross, Gunner in the 2nd Battalion of Royal Artillery Leith Fort, and Jane Swanson No. 293 Canongate, Daughter of George Swanson, Labourer in Reay Caithness, gave up their names for Marriage. Certified by John Lindsay, Gunner in said Batn. and William Buchanan, Private in the Renfrew Militia."

(The above info came from Scotland's People.)

MT

[emmadog]

Well, typed thie earlier but who knows where it went?  When we were on the tour of the closes, there were both the poor living (large families of different generations) in one room, basically four walls and also more affluent families living in more luxurious accomodation in the same building. They even had furniture. The actual alleys between the buildings were as wide as if you put both arms out so not much room. Mary Kings close is an actual Close which is lower than the Royal mile which was built higher. It is situated beneath the Edinburgh Chambers. I will look later to see if I can find any earlier mentions of Midcommon Close.
Barbara.

[BassinghamTerrier]

Visited Mary King's Close only last Tuesday.
Very interesting, although the delivery by our Italian-Scottish guide was a bit off the wall!

MT

[Little Nell]

A little more from the book on Edinburgh streets:

Midcommon Close was the middle of three common closes (at nos 287. 295 and 307 Canongate).  Each gave 'common' or 'public' access to the High Street of the Canongate.  The most easterly was East Common Close (at no 287), also known as Logan's Close and named for the family who owned the property for several generations.  James Logan and his son, another James, were clerks of the affairs of the Canongate 1568-1615.

Midcommon Close  was also called Middle Common Close or just the Common Close.  It was also known as Veitch's after several Edinburgh burgesses who owned the property.

The West Common Close was also known as High School Close.

Now I just need to remember all this 

Nell

[emmadog]

Hi Little Nell. Your post is interesting and adds more info to the story of Mid Common close. I actually found East Common Close while looking through a census but wasnt sure if transcribed wrongly. The book I got my information from is called " a guide to the Royal mile" and it goes down the Royal mile from top to bottom. It has been worth buying as have used it quite a bit in the last three weeks since I bought it. I got it as my grandfathers family resided in many of the closes up until early 1900's.
Barbara.

[emmadog]

Just wondering, would Midcommon Close have been at the back of the new Premier Inn on Market street?  Stayed there and room was at the back and looked up towards High Street.